Awake at Midnight
by cap red
Summary: A series of events that are initiated from the simple fact that Harry was actually asleep at midnight on his birthday. Oneshot. Spoof.


AN: In a lot of fics I've noticed that Harry is always awake at midnight and waiting for presents from his friends on his birthday. What I want to know is why do his friends send him presents to arrive at midnight, it's a bit of an unusual time. Then this idea spawned and I decided to write it down.

AN2: I know I said that I was travelling, but I unexpectedly came home for a week. I still haven't had much time though, but this is short so I hope you enjoy.

* * *

In an average house in a very average neighbourhood lived a very un-average boy named Harry Potter. Harry Potter was currently sleeping, which considering it was almost midnight was not very surprising. He turned over in his bed slightly, clutching the duvet to him tightly and whimpered slightly making anyone who might be looking in (and if they were I would be slightly worried as to why they were looking at a fifteen year old boy sleeping) think he was having a nightmare. Then a large grin spread over the boys face and that illusion was shattered.

Unbeknownst to Harry, there was a large group approaching his house (or really the Dursley's house) at an alarming speed. They flew high in the sky, soaring through the clouds, as their bright eyes searched out their destination. They were clutching very large packages, full of mysterious, secret items, wrapped very tightly. One of them let out a loud screech as he spotted their destination, and swooped down to the...closed window?

The owls, for that was what the group was glared at the barrier with beady eyes, wondering how they were going to surmount this obstacle. One little owl by the name of Pigwidgeon had the not so bright idea of head butting the window. Needless to say, that idea did not meet any success and the other owls only flapped their wings and ruffled their feathers in disgust as Pigwidgeon fell to the floor.

Another owl, notably more intelligent simply raised his talon and rapped sharply on the window. The owl inside raised her head from under her wing and glanced from the window to the bed. The boy in the bed simply rolled over.

The owl outside the window hooted at the owl inside the room, in a clear plea to do something. The owl inside the room puffed out her chest and turned around. She was her own master, and wouldn't do anything.

The owls outside the window (with pigwidgeon now recovered joining in) spent the next ten minutes rapping at the window, circling around the house, hooting very loudly and trying anything imaginable to get inside. For just a moment Harry opened a bleary eye, but it didn't actually make a difference as he just rolled over and went back to sleep, completely unaware of the owls presence.

The owls in defeat, their packages unopened turned around and flew back home.

The next morning in the Burrow...

"Mum!"

Molly Weasley looked up from her cooking as a stampede of children herded their way into the kitchen, and a cacophony of voices all tried to speak at once.

She held up her wooden spoon, "One at a time, what is going on?"

It was Fred (or was it George?) who spoke, "Mum Harrys birthday presents returned unopened. Something must have happened to him."

Molly felt her heart freeze, "Are you sure? Maybe there is a legitimate explanation; I'll floo the others to see if any of the others gifts got through."

She had barely taken a step towards the fireplace when a head appeared, that of Remus Lupin. One look at Molly's worried face and his own fears were already answered.

Not ten minutes later an Order meeting was called and Dumbledore called the meeting to order.

"Now," he said, his twinkle noticeable absent although that is because he had yet to have his morning err, meds, "does anyone have any suggestions of what could have happened."

"He was kidnapped!"

"Those muggles killed him!"

"He ran away to America to be in a band!"

"You Know Who has him!"

"He got an offer to train at an elite school filled with magical creatures such as vampires and has left!"

"He's gone to travel the world before he dies!"

The suggestions got more and more ludicrous but none topped Luna's suggestion (why she was in the meeting anyway is yet to be understood) of Harry never existing in the first place and that he was merely a collective figment of their imaginations.

Severus Snape who had been dragged away from his brewing and didn't really see the point of being in the meeting in the first place, finally had enough and said, "Has it ever occurred to you, that perhaps Potter did not open the presents because of the ludicrous hour in which they were sent?"

He was shouted down and he glared at the ceiling as the others turned to methods of finding him and getting him back, none even considering going to Privet Drive to check on the boy. If this was the only defence against the Dark Lord then he was seriously considering changing sides.

Then he remembered that this side had better dental.

The next few weeks saw the order chasing leads all over the continent in the search of the 'missing' boy, until at last they decided to return to the scene of the crime to search for clues. There they found an oblivious Harry doing homework at his desk, with Hedwig perched on his shoulders.

"Harry James Potter! Where have you been young man?" Shouted Molly Weasley.

Harry stared in confusion, "err, right here."

Snape snorted in the background.

Dumbledore gazed down in disappointment, "I'm very disappointed in you Harry. Running away was a very foolish thing to do."

"Who ran away?"

"You did."

"No I didn't."

"Then why didn't you open your presents?" asked Dumbledore.

"What presents?" asked Harry. This was turning out to be very strange.

"The ones we sent you at midnight on your birthday." replied Dumbledore.

"..."

"I was asleep sir."

"Why would you be asleep on the eve of your birthday?"

"Because I was tired." Said Harry.

Snape sent his hands towards the ceiling in prayer, "Oh for the Love of... Albus the boy is found. We have wasted enough time as it is, can we please get on to something actually important."

Dumbledore nodded sagely, "Right you are my boy. We better get going."

As they were leaving the room Harry could vaguely here Dumbledore saying, "It is strange that nobody thought to check here in the first place."

He also thought he heard, though he couldn't be sure, Snape muttering something about Dental Plans and Dark Lords.

He looked up at Hedwig and shrugged.


End file.
